Top Stories

Three surveillance cameras in downtown Orlando are equipped with Amazon’s high-tech facial-recognition software, police Chief John Mina confirmed Thursday — contradicting his claim a day earlier that the software was only being tested at OPD headquarters. During an afternoon press conference, Mina...

Contradicting Police Chief John Mina, an Orlando Police spokeswoman said Thursday the department did in fact have three cameras with Amazon's Rekognition software downtown.

Contradicting Police Chief John Mina, an Orlando Police spokeswoman said Thursday the department did in fact have three cameras with Amazon's Rekognition software downtown.

Get Healthy Orlando

Since taking ownership of Riverside Fitness club in Oviedo less than three years ago, Wayne Vandemerwe had continually heard the excuses from members who complained they didn’t like vegetables or they didn’t know how to cook them. Organic vegetables were also too expensive, he was told. But years...

Entertainment

In the summer of 1977, Ron Howard made his directorial debut with “Grand Theft Auto,” a merrily destructive low-budget fairy tale that found its way into a lot of newly twinned multiplexes that summer of ’77. Audiences liked Howard. An entire generation grew up with the guy, best known as Opie...

Local and State News

A fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam in Orlando on Thursday was canceled after a report publicized video of the event’s host shooting two dogs in 2008. Chris Comins, listed as the host for the reception, was acquitted in 2011 of two felony counts of animal cruelty with a firearm...

Sports

In a sign they are widening their coaching search, the Orlando Magic will interview former Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford this week, The New York Times reported. Clifford, 56, served as a Magic assistant coach for five seasons during Stan Van Gundy’s tenure, from 2007 through 2012....

Darron Cummings, Associated Press

Steve Clifford worked as the Charlotte Hornets coach for five seasons, compiling a 196-214 regular-season record and making two playoff appearanes

Steve Clifford worked as the Charlotte Hornets coach for five seasons, compiling a 196-214 regular-season record and making two playoff appearanes (Darron Cummings, Associated Press)

Restaurants & Recipes

4 Rivers Smokehouse will be celebrating summer with new dishes that go beyond its Texas-style barbecue. The limited-time dishes will be available at all 4 Rivers locations except the downtown Orlando spot. The menu includes a set of barbacoa bowls, which layer rice, black beans, salsa verde, pico...

Lauren Delgado / Orlando Sentinel

4 Rivers Smokehouse will be celebrating summer with events, promotions and new dishes such as barbacoa bowls.

4 Rivers Smokehouse will be celebrating summer with events, promotions and new dishes such as barbacoa bowls. (Lauren Delgado / Orlando Sentinel)

Central Florida Business

Now that Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando-area home has been on the market for a few days, the broker in charge of selling the massive mansion said Thursday many prospective buyers are coming from South Florida, where the list price – $28 million – is a little less dazzling. In Central Florida, the price...

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has put his huge Isleworth mansion up for sale. Read more

Travel

Royal Caribbean’s new bungee-jumping, trampolining, virtual reality attraction has made its debut on Independence of the Seas. The feature was installed on the top deck during a dry dock for the 3,858-passenger ship that will spend the summer based in Southampton, England before returning to Fort...

Watch video of the installation of the new ride Sky Pad on board Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, which is undergoing a series of dry dock enhancements.

Watch video of the installation of the new ride Sky Pad on board Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, which is undergoing a series of dry dock enhancements.

Expore Florida

The Homosassa Riverside Resort claims to be the Homosassa River's most famous waterfront resort. Possible, as riverside resorts here are few and far between. The colorful building, which resembles a massive party barge, certainly ranks as the river’s most distinctive resort. And its 50-plus years...

Opinion

Orlando is finally back where it belongs on a list of U.S. metropolitan areas eligible for federal anti-terrorism grants. The Department of Homeland Security’s decision after 2014 to drop Orlando from the list of areas considered vulnerable to terrorism was inexplicable. But keeping it off the...

Community Conversations

These days, media usually rate below head lice and even politicians on the popularity scale. For those who think reporters are totally worthless, we give you Hayley Moore. She’s a “presenter,” as they call them in Britain, for Sky Sports and was reporting from Chepstow Racecourse in Wales on Tuesday....

Health & Science

With this month’s deluge of rain — and a weekend forecast for more, state and local health officials are warning of an increased risk for mosquito-borne illnesses, including Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya, all carried by the same mosquito. First comes the rain, then mosquitoes, said Kelly Deutsch,...

Schools & Education

Anenushka Piñero didn’t want to leave her family and friends or give up on the small school, with its emphasis on the arts, she’d attended for more than six years. But after Hurricane Maria smashed into Puerto Rico, staying on the island seemed risky given the uncertainty about when schools would...

Nation/World

House and Senate lawmakers from both parties are meeting with top intelligence officials Thursday for classified briefings as President Donald Trump has raised new suspicions about the federal investigation into his 2016 campaign. Trump is calling his newest attempt at discrediting special counsel...